Either way, it IS a sign of poor play right? And, I think it is either sign of a tight/passive bluff or loose/aggressive slow play. So, just look for other clues about the villains play and exploit it with solid poker.
Yes IMO min-betting is a very poor play. You dont acheive a lot with it and it screams weakness.
Although on the other side of the coin it can send mixed signals to opponents, although in general I think its a weak, money loosing play.